Acetylene-gas generator.



Patents; My 11, I899. .1. HARRIS, H. w. GAZELL & L. H. VUGEL.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOB.

(Application filed Nov. 28, 1898.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sh0,et l.

20 FIN HMmV a a wwjli a: n WW why; f0 d 3 I r 12 v 1 lillll HM w .1. w 11;: w llhlrlli wm i AU 1 2 aims yel Patented luly ll, I899.

J. HARRIS, H. W. GAZELL & L. H. VOGEL.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application fl1ed.Nov. 28, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE JOHN nARaIsnEnRr w. GAZ LL, AND LORENZ HAXO'GEL, or CLEVELAND, OHIO. i

. .ACET YLENE-GAS GENERATOR .QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No..628,462, dated July 1-1, 1899.

.llpplloetloniiled November 28,1898. SerialNo. 697,683. (No model.) 7'

' To all whom/"it may concern:

Be it known that We, JGHN HARRIS, HENRY W. GAZELL, and LORENZ'H. VoeEL, citizens of'the United States, residing at ,Clevelan'd,

- i 5 in the county of Cuyahoga-and State of Ohio,

- have invented a new and useful Acetylene-..

specificatiom- I Our invention relates-t apparatusfor the Gas Generator, of which the following is a y lo generation of acetylenegas; and the chief object in viewis to provide an improved means forregulatingzthe admission of water to the generator, to the end that a limited quantity of water may beadmitted for attacking the cal-bid and secure the generation'of gas while the car-bid is in an active state; but the wa tor-supply will be entirely put off on the exhaustion of the carbid, thus leaving the'calcium residue'in. a@.moistened condition and free from saturation by the water, whereby ,the spent carbid is notfiooded by continued increments of ,water and the generator may readily be cleansedfrom the spent carbid preliminary to placing a fresh charge' of active carbid in said generator.

* i A further object of theinvention is .topro- 'vide means by which the gas'is cooled and condensed as it passesto the gasometer, and

the wa ter oflcondensation froln-thegas is dis- 31 charged into a trapped condenser-chaniber,=

and in our apparatus the'gas-conveying pipe and the vent-pipe of the gasomcter are supported by a single trap, which is situated centrally within thegasometer.

35 Vith these ends in view our-invention consists in the novel combination of elements and "in the construction and arrangement of. parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. I I

0 To enable othersto understand the invention, we have illustrated a preferred embodiinent thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in; which,- 5 Figure 1 is a sectional elevationthrough a 'gasonieter and a generator of an apparatus constructed in accordance with our improvements. Fig. '2 isa vertical sectional elevation on the plane at right angles toFig-Jl and indicated by the dotted linef. got saidiigurc.

the gasometer.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rocking arm and the tiltable vessel detached from Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view through the arm and the valve which is controlled thereby. Fig. 5 is a detail sec- 5 5 tion on a plane at right angles to Fig.4 and indicated by the dotted line 5 5. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the head of the generator, illustrating the sprayer,

. Like numerals o'f referencedenote likeand corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

Thegasometer which is employed in our apparatus is similar in its general aspect to ordinary gasireceivers familiar to those skilled in the art. The tank 10 of the gasometerhas a raised bottom 11, and within the liquid contents of the tank is immersed the inverted hoatable bell12.' This hell carries a slidable vent-tube 13,which is fastened securely to the head of the bell andisarranged centrally there- 'on,and this slidable vent-tu be is provided with one or more transverse perforations 14 near its lower end, so that the perforations in the normal working position of the bell are immersed in and sealed by. the liquid contents, of the tank. A trap-shell 15, preferably of conicocylindrical form, is arranged partly within the tank and partly below the bottom 11 there'- of, and this trap-shell is united securely ata point intermediate of its length to the bottom 11, so that its upper end protrudes into thetank for the reception of the vent-pipe 16. This vent-pipe has a vertical length or section which extends centrally through the tank 10 to a point above the level of the liquid contents of the tank, and the vent-tube 13 is telescopically fitted over the'vent-pipe 16 to uormall -cutofl the escape of gas through the automatihveninappliances of the appa- 9o ratus. The tubes or pipes 13 16 are disposed vertically and cehtrally within the gasorneter to serve as a guide-for the flea-table bell in its vertical travel withim the tank, and in the event of excessive generation of-gas the float, able bell is raised to a point where the perforation 14 in the telescopic tube 13 is lifted above-the water-level in the tank, thus providing for the outlet of a certain quantity of gas. The lowcrcnd of the vent-pipe 16 is ser00 cured firmly in the upper contracted end of the conical trap-shell 15 and said end of the vent-pipe 16 is provided with an elbow 17, which is carried through one side of the trapshe'll 15 for union. with a horizontal Vbranelr" pipe 18, which is'conducted through the tank '10 above the bottom 11 thereof and below the lowest point in the travel of the floatable bell 12. A vent-pipe maybe connected with the protruding end of the branch 18 to lead the escaping gas outside of a dwelling or building in'which the apparatus may be installed.

The trap-shell is designed to contain a..-

limited quantity of water to form a seal 19 therein, and with this drip-chamberco'mmunicates a condensing coil or worm 20 and the connecting-pipe 23,that conveys the gasfrom the generator to the gasometer. The condensing coil orworm 20 is erected in a verti cal' position within the tank 10 for-snbmr: sion in the liquid contents thereof, and" the upper extremity of this condensing-coil is extended above the level of the water within' saidtank for the purpose of discharging the gas after it shallhave been cooled and condensed into the fioatable bell of the gasornter. The condensing-coil has its lower portion formed into an angular length 21, which is'carried through the upper part ofthe trapshell 15, which projects into the tank 10, and

this'angula'.r length of saidcoil terminates in a vertical foot 21?, which dips into or isimmersed in the seal 19 of the trap-shell. This dip-foot of the condensing-coil is provided at a a point above the liquid seal 19 in the trap with a T connection 22, to which is united the gas-pipe 23. The dip-foot and its T connection-a're arranged in a horizontal plane below thebottom 110E the tank, and the gas pipe 23m'aythus be carried through the lower portion of the tank 10 below the bottom 11 thereof. The g'as'from the generator is conducted by'the pi e 23 to the condensing-coil 20, through which the gas circulates as it passes to the fioatable bell, and this coil be ing submerged in the cool wat'r of the tank theaqueous vapors in the gas are condensed by the gas impinging against the cooled coil. The water of condensation .is discharged from the coil through the angular length and the dip-foot thereof intothe seal of the trap-shell; but the gas is prevented from escapingth rough the foot'21 and into the trap-shell, because said foot is immersed in the liquid seal 19.

The seal is augmented by the discharge of the water of condensation from the gas, and the accumulated liquid in the trap-shell 15 is permitted to overflow into a'dis'chargepipe "24, which is attached to the trap-shell 15 at the desired level of the liquid seal 19 therein. ThisoverfloW-pipe 24 lies below the bottom l r of the tank 10 and extends through the shell of said tank to discharge into a suitable vessel.

The generatorof our apparatus is situated externally to the'gasoinetenand said generator has a shell or vessel 25 of cornice-cylindrical fOIZLg. The bottom of the generator is closed by" n imperforate head but the open upper end of the generator-shell has a castmetal ring-like' heaelflfiu'nited thereto in a nlaiiii'rto secure agas-t-ight joint between said conical shell and'the cast-metal-head.

This head 26 is cast in a single piece of metal,-

with a recessed seat 27 and short standards 28. The seat 27 is concentric with an opening in the head, and said seat receives'a compressible gasket 29, upon which is placed the cover 30, which is held firmly on -the gasket by a'clamping-screw 31, having a threaded bearing in a cross-bar 32, supported by the standard 28. v The employment of the tapered generator vessel-is advantageous, because the cross-sectional area of the upper portion of the vessel is less than the area of the lower closed end thereof, and this form of the vessel jenables a comparatively small cover 30 to be employed which may be fastened or clamped securely in place by a single screw. For the purpose of supplying water to the generator we employ a trapped water-pipe 33,

which is erected in vertical position .alongside'the. generator and contiguous to the gasomete'r-tanlr, and one leg. of this trapped water-pipe has an elbow 34, which is connected to the head or cover of the generator, so as to communicate with a sprayer-35, situated within the generator, immediately below the cover 30 thereof. The other leg of the trapped water-pipe has an enlarged funnel-shaped mouth 36, which-is .open for the free ingress the trapped water-pipe connected with the generator enables a column of water to be maintained in active relation to the generator for the prevention of the escape of gas therefrom thronghthe water-supply devices, and the funnel shaped mouth 36 of this trapped water-pipe is in a. horizontal plane abovecthedeliveryen'dbf said trapped pipe,

to that an" increase in the supply otwater over the'charge of carbid within the generator-shell. We preferably provide the inner sprayer-tube 38 with a-series 0t orifices 40,

while the outer sprayer-tube 37 has a series of-jet-nipples 4l,whichdiverge in adownward direction and deliver the water in thin streamsupon the charge of car-bid adjacent to the conical shell of-thc generator. The gas-pipe 23 of water from a tiltable recptacle,which will be presently described. The employment of is bent in an upward direction alongside of the generator, and its upper end-is formed into an elbow 42, which is attached to the l mechanism has combi r ued ingress ter is left in sea bracket-plate 43,

head or cover of said generator for the purof conveying the gas from the generator o the condensencoil within the gasometer.

In our apparatus we employ a water-feed mechanism which .takes or receives its supply of water from the contents of the gasometer-tank and which is controlled in a positive and automatic manner by the vertical travel of thei'floatable bell, and this waterfeed ued therewith a valve or cut-off, which on the exhaustion of the car bid within the generator serves to completely shut oil the supply of water to the'water-feed mechanism, and thereby prevent the continof water-to the generator, whereby the spent calcium residue insaid generaa moistened condition as distinguished from a flooded, saturated, and p'asty mass. The water-feed mechanism embraces a hollow swinging arm 44, a tiltable receptacle '45, ,which :is carried by the arm to travel therewith and .is in'operative relation to the funnel-niou'th-of the trappipe 33, and a cam-rod 46, movable with the gasometer-bell and operatively' connected I which extends hello with. the swinging-hollow arm, so as $0116 press the latter from a vertical position to a horizontal position on the descent of thegasbell and to restore said arm to a vertical posimulation of gas therein; The cam-rod- '46 is slidably fitted with-in aloo'p shaped guide 47, outwardly from the swinging length thereof, and said guide is equipped with a clamping-plate 4 8, which is secured firmly on the arm 44 in any approvedway. The'vertical cam-rod 46 is secured at its upper end to the, floatable bell in a suitable man- .ner; and at a point intermediate its length :this red is formedwith a crook or offset 49,

hollow swinging which is adaptedto ride against the guide 47 in a manner to raise or lower the hollow arm 44 po'sitivclypn the vertical. travelof thefioatable'bell. The swinging arm 44 is preferably tubular throughoutits length, although it may be any other desired-shape in cross-seccates thedischarge-nozzle 50, which extends substantially at right angles to the length of the arm an outer extremity.

arm -is closed by means of a lug 51, that protrudes beyond said extremand in the protruding end of his plug is a transverse eye 52,'which receives "*tltelianger-bail 53 of the tiltable receptacle 1 45. This banger-bail is held firmly atan angle to the axis of the swinging arnrby u. clamping-screw 54, which. finds a threaded openingin the plug 51 and impinges against the bail 53, and this bail is pivotally connected at its lower end tot-he receptacle 45 by means of the hinge-rod 55, said rod passing through suitable ears on the receptacles 45 and through the ends of the hanger-bail. The vtiltable receptacle 45 has an inclined or slention when the floatable bell is raised by accu-- .Vnrm 44 at a point intermediate of't'hel v. a .nicety. As the water is dis attnched'thereto at or near its. v The outer open end of the in g-coil to the floatable which is actively com plate 43. and the swin ing bottom, and said receptacle tapers in the direction of its length. The receptacle is hung or pivoted on the bai order that it may balance itself and assume normally a horizontal position. The swinging arm 44, which carries the tiltable receptacle 45, is maintained in a vertical position by the cam-rod 46, which travels with the floatable bell, and by clamping the hangerbail 53 at an angle to the axis of theswinging farm this'tiltable receptacle is supported in a position to one side of the discharge-nozzle a when the arm 44 is in its norm sition. The position of the swinging arm and the tiltable receptacle when the gas-bell is in its raised active position is indicated by Fig. 2 of the drawings; but when thevolu ne-of gas in the floatable bell is reduced by consumption at the burners the bell descends and with it the cam-rod 46.v The crook orollset 49 in the cam-rod travels through the loop-shaped guide 47 to lower the swingingarm from a vertical position to substantially horizontal position, and as the arm travels in an arc and as the tiltable receptacle is pivotally suspended fromithe arm the nozzle 50 assumes a position over the heel of the tiltable receptacle, from the arm '44 into the tiltable receptacle. This receptacle is normally supplied with a limited quantity of water, and the increase in the volume of water within the tiltable receptacle by the water flowing from the nozzle of the hollow arm oven-balances the tiltable receptacle and causes it to empty it limited .volume of water into trapped water-pipe 33. It is designed to arrange the valve 56 and the pivotal support of the arm on the gasometer-tankat such a point relatively to the water-level in the tank that the water will not flow from the hollow arm 'and'the nozzle 50 thereof until that arm assumes a substantially horizontal position, and

l. cccentrically in al vertical poso as to discharge thewater 5' the inouth 36 of the by-providing the tiltable bucket between the delivery end of the arm and the mouth of the trapped water-pipe the volume of water de- I livered to the trap-pipe, may be regulated to supplied to the trapped pipe it flows to the sprayer and is distributed by the latter over the charge of carbid in the generator. -The gas is generated by the water attacking the carbid, and it flows through the pipe 23 and the condensbell. Said bell is raised byaccumulation of gas therein, and as the bell ascends the cam-rod 46'travels with it and raises the hollow arm 44 to its normal upright position, thereby cutting: off the flow of water to the generator.

I In order. to entirely cut oil the flow of water from the gasometer to the generator when the charge of cal-bid is spent or exhausted within the generator, we provide a valve 56,

bined with the bracketging arm 44 toclose'the commupication between the gasometer-tank and the arm when the latter is carried by the plug, thereby entirely cutting off communi cation from the arm 44 and the gasometerment of the cutoff mechanism .the valve re- 5 mains open during the travel of the arm 44 from a vertical to a horizontal position, and

vice v'ersa, and this cut-off valveis brought into service only when the carbid is exhausted and the bell descends below the position water to the generator.

provided with a longitudinal passage 57, that communicates with a bushing or nipple 58, which is attached by the bracket-plate 43 to the gasometentank one plane below thelevel of the liquid contents of said tank 10, and the conical valve is thus in communication with the gasometer-tank to supply water there- .from to theswinging-arm 44. The plug of the valve is .provided with a transverse port 60, which isin communication with the longitudinal passage through the plug, and on' .this conical plug is fitted a valve-shell 59, which is attached firmly tot-he inner end of the rocking arm 44 and serves to pivotally connect said arm tothe valve-plug 56. This valve-shell has a port 61,. which communicates at all times with the longitudinal passage in the hollow arm, and an arc-shaped passage 62 is provided in the plug 56-0!- the valve-shell 59 to establish communication'between the ports 60 and 61 during the travel 02 the arm 44 from its vertical to its horizontal position. The length of this passage is such that-the arm' 44 communicates freely through the valve-plug with the gasometertank at all points in the'adjustment of the arm within an arc: of ninety degrees;-but when the gas-bell and the cam-rod descend below the limit of travel in the active condig tion of the bell the shell 59 is turned by the arm to a position where the passage 62 and the port 61 of the shell are moved outof communication with the port 60 in the valvetank. The em loyment of the automatic valve between t e rocking arm and the gasometer-tank prevents the ingress of such -a flooding of the carbid, and the'calciumres due is left in a. moistened conditionas distinguished from a pasty mass, whereby the generator when detached may be readily cleaned of the exhausted charge and supplied with a fresh active charge of carbid. The shell 59 of the automatic cut-01f is held on the conical plug by a washer 63 and a screw 64 to prevent disconnection of the parts and enable the conical plug and shell to be united together in a manner to overcome leakage of gas. While we prefer to employan automatic valve of the class described, which remains 65.

open between the limits of the play of the rocking arm within a prescribed are, we do ;v ',not' desire to strictly confine ourselves to the wh ere it normally actuates the valve to admit Thecnt-ofi or valve large volume of water as is requisite to efiect precise construction of the valve herein shown and described. i

The service-pipe 65 has a vertical branch. which is extended or carried through the gasometer-tank to communicate with the'chamher of the gas-bell, and to the protruding end 'of this pipe is attached a cock or valve .66, which may also serve as the means for uniting the burner-pipe'to the apparatus. Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some lithe parts, while their essential features are retained and thespirit of the invention embodied. Hence we do not 'desire to be limited to the precise form of all theparts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention,what we claim isg 1. In an acetylene-gasapparatus, the com- I bination with a generator, of a trapped water positively actuate said arm, and a tiltable vessel carried by the rocking arm and a'rrangedto receive water/therefrom, said vessel adapted, when overbalpnced, to deliver its contents to the trapped pipe, substantially as. described.

bination with'a generator anda gasometer, of a rocking arm, connections betweeh said arm and the floatable bell of the g'asometer,a valve which remains open diiring the ,play of the arm within certain limits and 'is closed when the arm assumes an abnormal posit-ion, and means to deliver water in limited quantities from the rocking arm to the generator, substantially as described. I 4. In anacet-ylen'e-gas apparatus, the combination with a generator and a gasonieter ot a' rocking arm, a cut-elf or a valve serving as the pivot for the rocking arm and establishing communication'between said arm and the gasometer within certain limits of the play of the arm, a tiltable vessel carried by said bination with a gasometer and a generator, of a rocking arm pivot-ally mounted on the gasomcter to receive its supply of water there 3. In an acetylene-gasapparatus, the comhaving a floatable bell, of a trapped pipe conarm and movable with the floatable bell to 5. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the comseesa p 5.

from, a cam-rod. attached to the gasoineterbell and slidably connected to the rocking arm, a tiltable vessel mounted on said arm .to

- travel therewith, and a pipe in active relation to said iiltable vessel and connected with the generator, substantially as described.

6. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination of a rocking'arm mounted pivotally for communication with a source of watersupply and provided at or near its outer end with a delivery-nozzle, a ban ger-bail arranged at an. angle to the arm and attached thereto, a tiltable receptacle pivoted on said bail, a generator, and an inlet-pipe arranged to receivefromthe receptacle and to deliver to the generator, substantially as described.

' 7. Inan acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination of a source of water-supply, a generator, a rocking ,feed'device communicating with said source of supply, a valve controlled by the rocking-feed device to remain open within thexiiniits of the play of the rocking feed device in its normal position and to be closed automatically when said rocking feed device assumes an abnormal position, a gen- ;e rator, and a trapped pipeconnected with the generator and arranged to receive from the rocking. feed device, substantially as described.

8. In an aeetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a gasometer, of a valve connected thereto and having a rocking arm mounted thereon for communication with said gasometer in the normal position of said arm, a. generator, means connected withthe gas-bell to control the position of the arm,- and a tiltable receptacle carried by the arm and arranged to deliver to the generator, substantially as described.

.9. In a gas-generator, the combination with 'a gas-bell, a generator, and a source of waterchargenipples and the other tube having orifices, in combination with a generator within which the sprayer is suspended,a water-pipe I connected with the sprayer, a gaspipe, a gasometer, and a feed mechanism to the Waterpipe, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto afiixed oursignatures witnesses. JOHN HARRIS HENRY W. GAZELL. LORENZ H. VOGEL. Witnesses forHarris and Gazeil: Joan H. SIGGERS, H. F. BERNHOOD. Witnesses for Vogel:

B. L. PENINGTON, J. J.-F1Tn.

in the presence of 

